Edgar Wright Speaks On McSpaced

Yes, I’ve stolen Edgar’s method of referring to the upcoming US remake of Spaced because it is much simpler, funnier and accurate than anything I could come up with myself.

Anyway, we posted news yesterday that FOX had bought remake rights to classic UK sitcom Spaced and handed it over to McG and a writer from Will and Grace to Americanize.  There are a few adaptations in the works right now that I’m actually looking forward to but this aint one of them, largely because the people they’re handing it to seem incredibly unlikely to get the subtleties that made the original work so well.  That and, despite hints to the contrary embedded in the press release that went out to the trades, none of the original creators have been contacted in any way as regards the new series.  And now Wright has posted a few words on the subject on his MySpace blog, which I’ll reproduce here because every time I try to follow the link I was sent it insists on taking me to my own MySpace page - which I NEVER use - rather than his:

The above article features this interesting nugget…

“Wonderland’s McG and Granada’s Robert Green will exec produce alongside Barr; the extent of Pegg’s and Wright’s involvement is still unclear. But Johnson likens the effort to NBC’s adaptation of Ricky Gervais’ and Stephen Merchant’s “The Office” for the U.S., with Greg Daniels in charge.”

The interesting part of that is, no-one has been in touch with me at all. Haven’t deigned to get in contact. So my involvement is indeed very unclear.

Would love to know what you all have to say about it.

P.S. I can confirm too, that Simon was never contacted either. I don’t really want to get involved at all, but it infuriates me that they would a) never bother to get in touch but still b) splash me and Simon’s names all over the trade announcements and imply that we’re involved in the same way Ricky & Steve were with The Office.

Also, it’s worth stressing that I will not be profiting from this reversion, nor do they have to get permission from me to make it.